That which we hold out must also be lived out.
But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15).
First Timothy is written in part so that a young man would understand in great detail how he ought to conduct himself within the local church. Paul writes to Timothy with the assumption that there was, and that there yet remains, a God-ordained order and structure within the church. Further, that church order and structure matter very deeply; it is not something which may be cavalierly modified to suit present concerns however pressing they may seem. The living God—as Paul refers to Him here—could hardly allow the mere passage of a little time to distract Him from an intense interest in the structure of even the modern church! Paul considered that the preservation of God’s structure was important enough that a letter of some detail should precede his arrival; and we understand today that the Holy Spirit felt church order to be a significant enough matter that Paul’s letter would remain with us thousands of years later to guide today’s local church.
In stressing to Timothy the importance of a precise order and structure within the church, Paul applies a somewhat enigmatic new title; Paul calls the church the “pillar and ground of truth.” The context of that title would suggest that order and structure are important particularly in light of the role God intends for the church to fulfill; that the church then and today both exalts and undergirds truth. The images Paul uses are worthy of some consideration.
The pillar
At casual glance, a pillar may be plain or beautiful, subtle or obvious —but regardless of the cosmetic appearance of a pillar, its designer’s intent remains clear: a pillar is that which first and foremost supports or strengthens a building. It is not the appearance of a pillar that is primary, rather it is a pillar’s functional role that is in view in Timothy. As Samson demonstrated so memorably, absent pillars, a roof rapidly and disconcertingly becomes a floor, and the building ceases to function as designed or intended. In Galatians 2:9, the pillars of an assembly are described as those men who uphold the spiritual structure of a local church and without whom the work would effectively collapse.
Here in Timothy, Paul says that not simply the leadership, but the church itself is the pillar of truth; the church upholds the truth. Note first this exclusive claim: Paul does not say that the church is simply one of many pillars that uphold the structure of a truth; he does not say it is the most important proponent of a truth; rather he says it is the pillar—the only one—of the truth. No other part of society will uphold God’s truth; so, if local churches do not fulfill their God-ordained function, the world will become immeasurably darker. This is one of many reasons why a local church which willingly or unwittingly abdicates a role as herald of the truth has lost something absolutely fundamental and unspeakably precious.
The first role for the church, then, is a role of publicly lifting up the truth God has provided: God’s revealed truth should be set high upon a pillar in each local gathering. The church is to be occupied in preaching, teaching, reading, memorizing, and meditating upon God’s Word as a primary responsibility. Every local church is to be occupied in the retention and transmission of truth at the expense of all comfort, all programs, and all popularity; for a pillar that ceases to hold up that which it was designed to support is a pillar no more. In Paul’s charge to the elders in Acts 20:27, he says most tellingly, “I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God”; and, in so saying, he charges them to follow his example within the local church.
The ground
Paul goes on to add a second image for consideration: the church is not only the pillar of truth, but also the ground of truth. The church in its role as a pillar ascends to lift the truth high for all to see, and proclaims the truth. But the church also must humbly descend to the lowest point and undergird the truth in service; this is the local church’s role not in proclamation but in practice. Third John 1:4 is an expression of God’s heart as well as John’s: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” Many are those who would gladly teach a truth that costs them nothing; but God is not looking for a local church that offers mere vocal assent to the truth, rather He seeks those who will worship in spirit and in truth. In a properly functioning local church, the truth is not only heard but also applied with consistency by the congregation under the guidance of wise leadership; the local church should be the place where teaching always finds application. The lost who are led by the Spirit of God will often respond initially to a truth clearly proclaimed; but it is after seeing truth consistently applied that they will remain and grow as part of a healthy local work.
In our day, perhaps it seems increasingly difficult to fulfill the dual role God has given the local church—that of lifting up and applying the truth. External pressures mount to compromise clear teaching; and pressures from government, society, and the media to alter church order will not diminish in the days ahead. But worse still, Paul spoke of a day when grievous wolves would enter in (Acts 20:28-29). Paul’s answer then to the elders was a watchful eye and consistent feeding of the flock with the truth. While it is not possible to know in advance all the various lies that the wickedness of men’s hearts inspired by the enemy will devise in the days to come, it is possible to feed the local church fully on the one truth it has available in order to encourage within the flock a mature discernment of any conceivable error. It is still possible by the grace of God to apply with all diligence the things we have learned inside the local church. If we are willing to fulfill our God-given role, it is possible to stave off the decline that sometimes seems imminent.
Proverbs 23:23’s “buy the truth and sell it not” reminds us that the truth is a commodity which is above any measurable value. We must understand that there is no compromise we can make today within the local church—perhaps to preserve a false peace or to induce a growth in numbers—that will ultimately prove to have been worth the cost of the loss of truth. The truth is the church’s flag, her purpose, and her protection.
We would be remiss if we did not pause for a moment to consider the One who said, “I am the truth” as our chief example. Our Lord Jesus did not simply teach the truth—though he certainly spoke it—He embodied it fully in every way. In addition to speaking His Father’s words (Jn. 14:10), He could say without any trace of irony or hyperbole “I do always those things that please Him” (Jn. 8:29). The church in following its Sovereign has a dual responsibility as the pillar and ground of that truth; it must speak and apply the truth with great devotion, as He faithfully did.